Under Cover Cooking
by pimmyjalmergrl
Summary: When the team is sent undercover in the kitchen of an upscale restaurant they must find evidence and catch the murderer embedded in their very midst. But being in small warm enclosed spaces, well who knows what will happen.
1. Chapter 1

**Sooo... I'm very excited about this story and were it stands to go. I think this story will be mostly about Gibbs and separately Kate and Tony. Of course there will be plenty of Abby and McGee and Ducky and all your favorite characters. (If you've read some of my other stories you may know I have a penchant for Jimmy Palmer) You may also know that I don't write very looong chapters, but this means I can get them up sooner. **

Steam billowed behind from the pot behind Tony. He jumped in surprise as the hot vapor hit his back in a strong wave. Kate turned down the burner a little bit.

"Can't handle the heat Tony?" She smirked.

"It took me by surprise." He said straightening his dirty white apron. She rolled her eyes. In the warm kitchen people bustled all around them with trays of food, bottles of wine and even one very intimidating woman carrying a whole pig. Suddenly came into view.

"Lookin' good in that hairnet McFurry" Tony catcalled. McGee flung one Tony's general direction. Tony childishly stuck his tongue out at McGee.

"Stop joking around you to or you'll really be busboys." Gibbs crackled over their earpieces.

"Sorry boss." They mumbled turning back to their respective work.

"Have you located the head chef?"

"The head chef's name is Sahara Lee, one of the dishwashers said she doesn't come in till 20 minutes before opening." Tony mumbled so no one would hear.

The team was operating on an anonymous tip that the head chef at Blink Cuisine had murdered numerous chefs, busboys and waiters and waitresses, one of which was a marine. Now normally this would not be exactly NCIS' jurisdiction but the Marine was an ex-nephew or something of Gibbs' so of course thanks to the older man's apparently strong sense of family they were working the case. At least Tony thought it was kind of odd that he was helping one of his _ex-wife's _nephews. But after all it would be Gibbs, time and time again he would go to if he were ever in any trouble. So here they wore in hairnets and aprons. Kate was posing as a sue chef while McGee and Tony had unhappily become busboys. Kate was smug about this and actually seemed to be in her element having mastered the art of dicing.

The whole kitchen went silent. McGee glanced around anxiously until Kate surreptitiously elbowed him in the ribs. In the doorway a rather tall woman stood. Her eyes were cruel and condescending.

"Doors open in 20 minutes, now get to work underlings." She clapped her hands twice loudly and then the kitchen was buzzing with activity.

"That was very evil villain-like." Grumbled Tony.

**It may take till the second or third chapter for this to get started. The team will investigate and possibly even act as bait for this murderer so please stay tuned. and R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright! Second chapter! This is gearing up to be a nice story I think. I am on the last chapter of my story Losing them Both which has taken me months so, don't expect another chapter till I finish that story.**

Kate's legs ached from hours of standing. She shifted from foot to foot in an effort to regain feeling. She set her knife down and cracked each set of knuckles.

"Easy superwoman." Tony chortled, sidling up beside her.

"I'm sore! I've chopped 21 peppers, 33 onions, 16 carrots, 25 leeks, 21 tomatoes, and don't even get me started on the fruit-"

"I won't." He cut her off, "and by the way tomatoes are a fruit." They were alone in the kitchen know, it was surprisingly clean, considering the disarray in which it had been during the dinner rush. "Why d'ya think Lee murders all her employees?" Tony wondered aloud as he leaned backwards onto the counter Kate was now sponging off.

"I don't know…." Kate sighed.

"Anger management issues? The chefs didn't hold the knife the wrong way so she took it out of their hands and stabbed them?" He demonstrated lightheartedly.

"No…if she was that emotionally unbalanced, she wouldn't think to kill in private, she'd do it right out in the open, no, this isn't a spur of the moment thing."

"Okay… so tying up loose ends then?"

"That would indicate she has a secret."

"Everyone has secrets." Kate pondered this for a while, her face a serene ocean of calm. Tony couldn't help but try to find his partners thoughts in her eyes, but he could not see them. "Well I guess we'll just have to figure it out." Kate said decisively.

A resounding crash came from the walk in refrigerator. Tony and Kate didn't have to say anything; they simultaneously rushed to either side of the door. Tony reached cautiously for the handle, turned it and opened the door. Inside a man dressed like Tony lay on floor struggling to breathe. He had his hand s clutched tightly to his side but blood still seeped through his fingers. The two agents rush to his side.

"What happened?" Kate asked while adding pressure to the wound.

"Chef Lee, she was in here and I walk in and she just turns on me, I ain't done nothin' wrong, hear me! Nothin!" The man was sweating heavily and cringed when Kate had put her hand on his wound.

"Tony call 911" Kate shouted even though he was already in the process. "What was she doing when you walked in?"

"Lookin' at somethin' I s'pose, she took it with her when left." Kate sighed in disappointment. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"It's fine…"

"Tyreese."

"It's fine Tyreese."

**So? **

**That leaves Tony and Kate with the question "why?''**

**Please R&R**


	3. Chapter 3

Kate walked in to Blink Cuisine refreshed after a good nights sleep. There were a handful of kitchen workers bustling around preparing the kitchen. Tony and McGee sat on one of the work counters, water in hand chuckling at some joke. Kate walked over and joined them.

"Good morning," she chirped cheerfully.

"Your awful happy for someone investigating a murder case," Tony said with a hint of smirk. Kate just gave an amused little huff that was probably meant to tell Tony that his ridiculous crack didn't even warrant a response. Suddenly the door banged open and in stormed an angry woman the NCIS agents recognized to be none other than Sahara Lee. They turned surreptitiously to watch her. Sahara's hair was long and unruly stretching as far as her sizeable waste.

"Ms. Lee, we didn't expect you this early," a flustered chef bumbled.

"Oh don't worry," Lee said to the chef patronizingly, "I'll be out of your way in just a moment." With that she stormed off throwing a glare over her shoulder. Tony looked at Kate and they seemed to share a thought.

"Cover me," Tony whispered. Kate nodded and signaled for McGee to stay put. With a disappointed sigh he settled back into his spot.

Tony casually followed Lee and Kate nonchalantly trailed behind him. Lee had disappeared into the walk in refrigerator where all the high end food stuffs were kept. When Kate and Tony peeked into the refrigerator Lee was shoving a shelf back with what looked like a considerable amount of effort so much that she didn't notice them. When the shelf was pushed against the wall Lee, with her back to them now, slid her fingernails down the wall and pried open another door. Tony began to whisper some movie reference into Kate's ear but she put her hand in his face to shush him. Lee cautiously stepped into the room. With a brief glance they were on their tip toes scurrying into the refrigerator. Tony peered into the crack between the secret door and the wall but saw nothing, it was too dark he realized. Suddenly there were audible footsteps coming from inside and startled Tony and Kate hurried back out of the refrigerator and back to where they had been standing before. Both were determined to find out what was behind that door.


End file.
